Ernest w



(No Modem E.W. BRADFORD. MAIL POUCH DBLIVBRER.

No. 496,551. Patentedlvay 2, 1893,

p WIIAJVESSES I Y NITFD STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST NV. BRADFORD, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

MAIL-POUCH DELIVERER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 496,551, dated May 2,1893.

Application filed October 3, 1892. Serial No. 447,619. (No model.)

T0 all wil/0m, it 11i/ay concern/.-

Be it known Ithat I, ERNEST W. BRADFORD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements `in Mail-PouchDeliverers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. i

My invention consists in various improvements in the construction andarrangement of an apparatus for delivering mail pouches to or frompostal cars while in motion, whereby an electric current is utilized toset off, or trip, the operating mechanism, all as will be hereinaftermore fully described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Which are made a part hereof andon which similar letters of reference indicate similar parts:

Figure l is across section through a postal car provided with myimproved apparatus, and

also through the apparatus set along-side the,

track, and Fig. 2, a horizontal section showing the principal part ofthe mechanism in top plan.

In said drawings, the portions markedA represents the car, B a box orreceptacle located beneath the iioor of the car,C a flexible apron, D anelectric battery, E a magnet, F a post along-side the track, G areceptacle on said post, H a lexible apron in said receptacle, and I amagnet on the post.

The car, A, is of the usual construction, and the receptacle, B, is of asuitable size to receive a mail pouch. It is located beneath the fioorof the car close to one edge thereof, communication being had theretofrom the car through a trap door in its Iioor, or maybe located in anyother suitable place desired.

The fiexible apron, C, is of substantially the same width as the box orreceptacle, B, and at one edge is fastened to the lower front edgethereof, its rear edge being connected by a cord, c, to an operatingspring, C', said cord being passed over a sheave, c', at the upper .rearcorner of the receptacle and under another sheave, c2, at its frontcorner, thenup along-side the wall of the car and connected t0 saidspring. An enlargement or knot, c3,

is provided on said cord, and a pivoted metal catch, c4, is arrangedadjacent thereto provided with a notch on one side with which the cordmay engage by means of the enlargement, c3, in a position to hold thespring, C',

E', which is secured to a convenient portion of the truck frame of thecar in position to contact with another brush, l', secured alongside thetrack, but insulated therefrom.

The post, F, is any suitable Vpost for supporting the mechanismalong-side the track.

The box or receptacle, G, is mounted rigidly on the post, being similarin construction to the box, B,on the car. The flexible apron, H, thereinis also similar to the apron, O,and is operated by a spring, H', insubstantially the same manner, said apron being held in a relaxedcondition and the spring distended by a hinged catch, h,havingabifurcatedlip on its upper end in which the cord, 71., connecting saidapron and lspring may be engaged, as is the cord, c, with the catch,c4,on the car. V

The magnet, I-, on the post is similar to the magnet, E, of the car, andis located directly behind the catch, h, which is of metal. It isconnected by an insulated Wire, t', with the brush, I', along-side thetrack at one end, and at its other end is connected with the ground bymeans of the wire, i.

The operation of my said invention is as follows: It being desired todeliver a pouch from the car and another to it, the aprons, O and H, aredrawn down to the bottom of their respective receptacles as shown inFig. l,in which position they are held by the catches, c4 and h', thepouch to be thrown off the car is placed in the receptacle, B, on top ofthe apron, O, by the postal clerk, and the pouch to be thrown onto thecar is placed in the receptacle, G, on top of the apron, H, by thepostmaster at the station. As the car passes rooV said station, thebrush, E', comes in contact with the brush, I', which establishes anelectrical current from the battery, D, through the Wire, e, the magnet,E, the Wire, e', the brushes, E and I', the Wire, il, the magnet, I, andthe wire,t" ,to the ground, energizing said magnets, E and I, whichoperate to draw the metal catches, c4 and h', to their poles, back awayfrom the cords, c and 7L, releasing the springs, C and H', andpermitting them to draw the aprons, C and I^I,suddenly taut, dischargingthe pouches therefrom, one into'a receptacle or to the ground along-sidethe track and the other into a suitable receptacle provided on the car.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new, an ddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In a mail pouch deliver-er, the combination of the deliveringmechanism, a catch for holding said delivering mechanism in posi tion tobe operated, and an electric magnet located adjacent to said catch andconnected with a brush in position to Contact with a cirat that pointWhere it is desired the pouch shall be delivered, substantially as setforth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two Witnesses, at Washington, District of Columbia, this 1st day of October,1892.

ERNEST lV. BRADFORD.

IVitnesses:

EMMA M. GILLn'rT, H. KEABLEs.

